15 of the All-Time Most Powerful Women on TV

Veronica Mars is coming back to TV. Now, don’t get excited — there are no new episodes in the works. (Kristen Bell is 31 years old at this point, after all.) But this Sunday, fans will be able to stuff themselves with wisecracking teen-sleuth goodness as SOAPnet kicks off its syndication of the series with an 11-hour marathon. We’re so excited to see such a strong female character on television again that we’re celebrating by rounding up 15 of the all-time most powerful women on TV. From Mary Richards to Daenerys Targaryen, our picks are after the jump. Leave your additions in the comments.

Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars

At 17 years old, Veronica Mars has endured more trauma by her junior year of high school than most people have to deal with in a lifetime: her best friend, Lily, is mysteriously murdered, her sheriff father is disgraced after accusing Lily’s father of the crime, she’s raped, and her alcoholic mother disappears. Thankfully, Veronica is also a brilliant and cynical detective-in-training, systematically untangling each and every one of her own complex mysteries while outsmarting her town’s stupid, corrupt new sheriff and solving those of her peers (for a price, naturally).